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THE BOG COAT: ONE-SEAM SOPHISTICATION Design options for a one-hour garment by Susan B. Allen 've discovered a casually elegant, wear-anywhere pattern that and sew together in literally under an hour-no buttonholes, darts, set-in sleeves, or 1 fitting challenges. Sound interesting? It's called the bog coat. It's not only easy to make, it's also quite flattering (see the photos on these pages). In either drapey or crisp fabric, the bog creates illusions that suggest height and mystery. And because it's not fitted, the coat continues to look good even when I lose (or, heaven forbid, gain) 20 or more pounds. Plus the coat packs flat and is eaSily made reversible. The bog has been around. Archeologists have found it in use worldwide more than 2,000 years ago (dubbing it "the Bronze Age blouse"). It's been used by art-towear artists to showcase embellished or quilted garments and by sewing groups to make toasty fleece coats to give away in communityhelp projects. I have experimented with the fab- ric, trim, length, and sleeve options on this garment, and I will share with you a few of my favorite variations on the following pages, can cut out, pin-baste, along with all the basics you will need to join in on this ancient and ongoing design challenge. Bog basics The keys to this smart garment are its simple structure and the right fabrics. Add an interesting finished length, combine unexpected colors and trims, and you're off. The best fabrics are either very drapey or quite stiff. Fabrics with a liquid drape flatter most sizes (including larger ones) because they slide over curves and hint at the body's shape without showing every last detail. Believe it or not, the same illusion occurs with stiff fabric if you make the garment slightly oversized. Stripes, diagonals, large prints, and plaids can all present matching problems, so you'll probably want to use a solid color or a small texture or print for your first bog coat. For a drapey version, consider sand-washed rayon or sueded silk, silk/rayon velvet, drapey gauzes, and most microfibers and knits. A wonderful bog fabric for office wear is high-twist rayon/acetate blend, widely used in the apparel industry (you can often find it at the back of fabric stores among the complex or simple as you like-or omitted altogether. Secure a tie with a button on each side of center-front closure, as shown above, and in detail. (To order the author's bog pattern, #108, send $14.50 to ReVisions, PO Box 7404, Carmel, CA 93921.)